OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2010. At the talks the sides discussed acute issues of further economic cooperation between the two nations.

Ahe Government’s House in Astana, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Karim Massimov met a group of French businesspeople headed by Total Exploration and Production President Yves-Louis Darricarrere who also co-chairs the Kazakh-French Business Council.

At the talks the sides discussed acute issues of further economic cooperation between the two nations.

Yves-Louis Darricarrere noted that French companies operating in the realms of energy, transport, infrastructure, high tech, environment protection, healthcare, and finance are interested in establishing and expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan.

In his turn, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Karim Massimov reiterated Kazakhstan’s willingness to bring to life all the agreements earlier reached by the two Heads of State. “These agreements perfectly fit in the Kazakhstan’s Program of Industrial Development. Therefore, practical implementation is of paramount importance for us”, he emphasized. He also noted that within the Strategic Plan of Kazakhstan’s Development up to 2020, “it’s of prime importance for Kazakhstan to draw new technology, launch new industries and training centers in its territory… Our new policy of cooperation in extraction sectors envisages that investments in extraction should be followed by efforts to facilitate industrial production in Kazakhstan”.

The Prime Minister stressed that with the customs union of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus coming into force, the common market makes up 170 million people. In this context Kazakhstan keeps on enhancing investment and tax environment to facilitate investors.

The Prime Minister invited the French side to tap opportunities of processing industries, foodstuffs production and tourism. “In these directions, tangible results will not keep us waiting”, he believes.

The sides went on to discuss some issues of implementing the bilateral agreements and pointed to positive dynamics of economic cooperation; both Kazakhstan and France expressed mutual interest in strengthening bilateral ties.